Annie Eileen Attwater nee Schofield was born in Ramsey on the Isle of Man on July 3 in 1907 and now has three children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She celebrated her big occasion with family, staff at the Birkdale home and also the Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Richard Hands.

At the age of two, Eileen, as the 100-year-old is better known, moved to Southport and stayed here until her teenage years.

While studying in Bedford College, she met her future husband, Philip Attwater. They married on July 27, 1933.

The couple, who went to live in Horwich where they had their first daughter Elizabeth, were stationed, by the church, for a year in Irlam and then moved to Heaton Park in Manchester, where their son John was born.

In 1940, the family moved to Shirehampton, Bristol, where Philip Attwater had responsibility for Sea Mills and Shirehampton Methodist Churches. Two years later, Philip joined the RAF as a padre.

Son John told the Visiter: “During the next few months Bristol became a dangerous place and our family had a serious bomb scare, so a decision was made to move back to Southport to live with mum’s parents in a large house in Park Road West.”

After the birth of her second son Stephen, the death of her husband and many more moves around the country, Eileen finally returned to Southport for good in 2002 and moved into Connell Court.

John added: “Before 2002, mum had enjoyed travelling and she travelled extensively over the world to China, Russia, Haiti and India and of course the Holy Land. The focus of these holidays was to visit the local methodist church and other missionary activities in these countries.

“She took many excellent photos and gave interesting talks about her travels mainly to Women’s Meetings.”

A highlight of Eileen’s life was during her travels abroad, when, on her 85th birthday, she bravely decided to take a trip in a hot air balloon.